Overview
- Rep. Frank Pallone sent a letter to Elon Musk on Wednesday requesting documents, emissions data, permitting records, communications with regulators and a site visit to xAI’s Colossus 1 and Colossus 2 data centers.
- Reuters reporting found xAI installed 59 natural gas turbines for Colossus 2 and that potential emissions could exceed thresholds that normally require federal clean-air permits.
- The turbines reported for Colossus 2 are sited near predominantly Black communities, prompting Pallone to raise environmental justice and public-health concerns for local residents.
- Pallone said SpaceX, which owns xAI, provided insufficient information in a prior meeting and warned the committee may use hearings or subpoenas if records and access are not forthcoming; SpaceX did not immediately comment.
- The inquiry feeds into broader scrutiny of AI data centers because large-scale AI computing can need vast power and water supplies and may trigger closer regulatory and congressional oversight if permitting gaps or health risks are found.